Straw cleaning system

ABSTRACT

An illustrated view of an exemplary straw cleaning system for cleaning and sanitizing a straw as well as for providing a clean container to store the straw. The straw cleaning system has a straw with an expandable area. The straw is placed in a straw holder. The straw holder having a hole in the bottom to drain liquid of the straw. A straw brush is then placed into the straw and cap of the straw brush is coupled to the straw container. The cap fits around an outside of the straw holder to seal the straw in the straw holder. The straw brush has a brush with soft bristles for cleaning residue from inside of the straw.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to drinking straws. More particularly, it relatesto cleaning systems for drinking straws.

BACKGROUND

A drinking straw or drinking tube is a small pipe that allows its userto more conveniently consume a beverage. A thin tube of paper, plastic(such as polypropylene and polystyrene), or other material is used byplacing one end in the mouth and the other in the beverage. Acombination of muscular action of the tongue and cheeks reduces airpressure in the mouth and above the liquid in the straw, whereuponatmospheric pressure forces the beverage through the straw. Drinkingstraws can be straight or have an angle-adjustable bellows segment.Several countries, regions and municipalities have banned plastic strawsas part of a push to reduce plastic pollution. Some companies havevoluntarily banned or reduced the number of plastic straws distributedfrom their premises.

Plastic drinking straw production contributes a small amount topetroleum consumption, and the used straws become a small part of globalplastic pollution when discarded, most after a single use. Oneanti-straw advocacy group has estimated that about 500 million strawsare used daily in the United States alone—an average 1.6 straws percapita per day. This statistic has been criticized as inaccurate,because it is a guess made by Milo Cress, who was 9 years old at thetime, after some phone conversations with straw manufacturers. ThisFIGURE has been widely cited by major news organizations. In 2017 themarket research firm Fredonia Group estimated the number to be 390million.

Plastic straws account only for a tiny portion (0.022%) of plastic wasteemitted in the oceans each year. Despite that, numerous campaigns in the2010s have led to companies considering a switch to paper straws andcountries imposing bans on plastic straws. However, 90% of all oceanplastic comes from just 10 rivers in Asia and Africa.

Microplastics pollution are a concern if plastic waste is improperlydumped. If plastic straws are improperly disposed of, they can betransported via water into soil ecosystems, and others, where they breakdown into smaller, more hazardous pieces than the original plasticstraw.

Straws are typically made from polypropylene, mixed with colorants andplasticizers, and do not biodegrade in the environment, according toadvocacy group For A Strawless Ocean. Since the material is strong itcan however be reused or recycled into other products. Waste straws inUganda are collected from beer and soft drink depots, cleaned, and woveninto mats for picnics and prayers or joined to form bags.

In light of the problems discussed above and other problems, a system isneeded to provide a clean, sanitary straw for reuse and to prevent thedevastation of our environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrated view of an exemplary straw cleaning system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in someembodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do notnecessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,”“having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictatesotherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.

“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,”“by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,”“in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,”“of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,”“preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,”“substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,”“to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptorsherein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree,unless context dictates otherwise.

Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments asillustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described inconnection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is nointent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On thecontrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications andequivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, orcombinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined,without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 1, an illustrated view of an exemplary straw cleaningsystem 100 for cleaning and sanitizing a straw as well as for providinga clean container to store the straw is presented.

The straw cleaning system 100 is preferably a length of ten and one-half(10.50) inches, but other lengths are hereby contemplated including, butnot limited to, eight (8) inches, twelve (12) inches, etc. The strawcleaning system 100 is preferably a width of three-quarters (0.75)inches but other widths are hereby contemplated including, but notlimited to, one-half (0.5) inch, one (1) inch, etc.

The straw cleaning system 100 has a straw 200, a straw holder 300 and astraw brush 400. The straw 200 is preferably made of a hard acrylicmaterial, but other types of material are hereby contemplated including,but not limited to, plastic, rubber, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), paper,etc. The straw 200 is preferably made of a hard acrylic material, butother types of material are hereby contemplated including, but notlimited to, plastic, rubber, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), paper, etc. Thestraw holder 300 is preferably made of a hard acrylic material, butother types of material are hereby contemplated including, but notlimited to, plastic, rubber, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), paper, etc.

The straw 200 is useful for neatly and sanitarily drinking liquid from acup, a glass, a bottle or a can. The straw 200 is reusable. The straw200 has a top 201, a bottom 202, a first end 203, a second end 204, amiddle portion 205 and an interior section 207. The straw 200 ispreferably made of a hard-acrylic material, but other types of materialare hereby contemplated including, but not limited to, plastic, rubber,poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), paper, etc. The straw 200 is preferably madeof a hard acrylic material, but other types of material are herebycontemplated including, but not limited to, plastic, rubber, poly-vinylchloride (PVC), paper, etc.

The interior section 207 is situated between the top 201 of the straw200 and the bottom of the straw 200. The top 201 of the straw 200 is anopen area. The bottom 202 of the straw 200 is an open area. The tope 201of the straw 200 and the bottom 202 of the straw 200 allow liquid to bein the interior section 207 of the straw.

Further the straw has an expandable area 208. The expandable area 208 isconfigured significantly near the first end 203 of the straw 200. Theexpandable area 208 of the straw 200 is preferably is an accordionstyle. The expandable area 203 of the straw 200 allows for the straw 200to bent in different directions as well be extended. The expandable area203 of the straw 200 is preferably one-eighth (⅛) inches in length, butother lengths are hereby contemplated including, one-sixteenth ( 1/16)inch, one-quarter (¼) inch, etc. The straw 200 preferably has a width ofone-half (½) inch, but other widths are hereby contemplated including,but not in limited to, one-fourth (¼) inch, three-fourths (¾) inch, etc.

The complete length of the straw 200 is preferably nine and five-eighths(9⅝) inches, but other lengths are hereby contemplated including, butnot limited to, nine (9) inches, ten (10) inches, etc. The length of thestraw 200 between the first end 203 of the straw 200 and the expandablearea 203 of the straw is preferably three-fourths (¾) inch, but otherlengths are hereby contemplated including, but not limited to, one-half(½) inch, one (1) inch, etc. The length of the straw 200 between thesecond end 204 to the expandable area 203 of the straw 200 is preferablynine and five-eighths (9⅝) inches, but other lengths are herebycontemplated including, but not limited to, nine (9) inches, ten (10)inches, etc.

The straw holder 300 of the straw cleaning system 100 has a top 301, abottom 302, a first end 303, a second end 304 and an interior section305. The interior section 305 is hollow. The top 301 of the straw holder300 is preferably open such that it can receive the straw 200. Thebottom 302 of the straw holder 300 has a hole 306, the hole 306 isuseful for allowing any liquid in the straw 200 to be released from thestraw holder 300 when the straw 200 is configured to be in the interiorsection 305 of the straw holder 300.

The length of the straw holder 300 from the first end 303 of the strawholder 300 to the second end 304 of the straw holder 300 is preferablynine and one-fourth (9¼) inches, but other lengths are herebycontemplated including, but not limited to, nine (9) inches, nine andone-half (9½) inches, ten (10) inches, etc. The straw holder 300preferably has a width of three-fourths (¾) inches, but other widths arehereby contemplated including, but not limited to, one (1) inch,one-half (½) inch, etc.

The straw brush 400 of the straw cleaning system 100 has a cap 401, ashaft 402 and a brush 403. The total length of the straw brush 400 ispreferably nine and three-fourths (9¾) inches, but other lengths arehereby contemplated including, but not limited to, nine (9) inches, ten(10) inches, etc.

The cap 401 of the straw brush 400 is useful easily holding the strawbrush 400 and to seal the straw brush 400 and straw 200 when configuredto be in the straw holder 300. The cap 401 has a base 404, an open area405, a top 406 and a bottom 407. The cap 401 is preferably a totallength of one and three-fourths (1¾) inches, but other lengths arehereby contemplated including, but not limited to, one one-half (1½)inches, two (2) inches, etc.

The base 404 is preferably solid. The base is preferably one-half (½)inch in length but other lengths are hereby contemplated including, butnot limited to, one-third (⅓) inch, five-eighths (⅝) inch, etc. The openarea 402 of the cap 401 is a void area. The open area 402 of the cap 401is preferably one and one-fourth (1¼) inches in length but other lengthsare hereby contemplated including, but not limited to, one and one-half(1½) inches, one (1) inch, etc. The top 406 of the cap 401 is preferablyfive-eighths (⅝) inch in width, but other widths are hereby contemplatedincluding, but not limited to, one-half (½) inch, three-fourths (¾)inch, etc. The bottom 407 of the cap 401 is preferably three-fourths (¾)inch in width, but other widths are hereby contemplated including, butnot limited to, one-half (½) inch, one (1) inch, etc.

The shaft 402 of the straw brush 400 is coupled to the base 404 of thecap 401. The shaft 402 is preferably made of a stainless-steel springwire material, but other materials are hereby contemplated including,but not limited to, plastic, metal, etc. The shaft 402 of the strawbrush 400 is preferably eight and one-fourth (8¼) inches in length, butother lengths are hereby contemplated including, but not limited to,eight (8) inches, nine (9) inches, etc. The shaft 402 of the straw brush400 preferably has a width of one-thirty-seconds ( 1/32) inch, but otherwidths are hereby contemplated including, but not limited to,one-sixty-fourths ( 1/64) inch, one-sixteenth ( 1/16) inch, etc.

The brush 403 of the straw brush 100 is preferably made of a soft nylonbristle material, but other bristle materials are hereby contemplatedincluding, but not limited to, hard bristle, medium bristle, etc. Thebrush 402 is coupled to significantly near a bottom end 408 of the shaft402. The brush 402 is preferably two (2) inches in length, but otherlengths are hereby contemplated including, but not limited to, one (1)inch, three (3) inches, etc. The brush 403 preferably has a width offive-sixteenths ( 5/16) inch, but other widths are hereby contemplatedincluding, but not limited to, one-fourth (¼) inch, three-eighths (⅜)inch, etc.

To use the straw cleaning system 100, the straw 200 is placed into theinterior section 305 of the straw holder 300 using the top 301 of thestraw holder 300. The bottom end 408 of the straw brush 400 is thenentered into the top 201 of the straw 200 and is pushed thru theinterior section 207 of the straw 200 until it coupled to the bottom 302of the straw holder 300. The open area 405 of the cap 401 of the strawbrush 400 is configured to fit around the straw holder 401 such that itis a securely coupled.

In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects andembodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) accordingto respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” orother such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.)more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may eitheridentify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might becalled “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, inrespective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to whichthey refer or other features described above.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specificexemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies arerepresentative of more general processes and/or devices and/ortechnologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filedherewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied toother embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features ofother embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope ofthe present invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from consideration of the specification and practice of theinvention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification andexamples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spiritof the invention being indicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A straw cleaning system for cleaning a straw, thesystem comprising: a straw, the straw for drinking liquid; a strawholder, the straw holder being for holding the straw, wherein the strawholder having a hole in a bottom of the straw holder being for drainingliquid from the straw; and a straw brush, the straw brush having abrush, a shaft and a cap, wherein the brush being a cleaner for thestraw, and wherein the cap being coupled to the straw holder.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the system having a length of ten andone-half (10½) inches.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the systemhaving a width of three-quarter (¾) inches.
 4. The system of claim 1,wherein the straw being made of an acrylic material.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the straw holder being made of an acrylic material. 6.The system of claim 1, wherein the shaft of the brush cleaner being madeof a stainless-steel wire material.
 7. The system of claim 1, whereinthe straw having an expandable area.
 8. The system of claim 1, whereinthe brush being a soft nylon bristle
 9. The system of claim 1, whereinthe brush being five-sixteenths ( 5/16) inches in width.
 10. The systemof claim 1, wherein the brush being two (2) inches in length.
 11. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the straw brush being a length of nine andthree-fourths (9¾) inches.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the shaftbeing a length of eight and one-fourth (8¼) inches.
 13. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the straw being a length of nine and five-eighths (9⅝)inches.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the straw holder being alength of nine and one-fourth (9¼) inches.
 15. The system of claim 1,wherein a top of the cap being a width of five-sixteenths ( 5/16) inch.16. The system of claim 1, wherein the straw being reusable.